Why Balkan Embassies Should Matter to Israel Kosovars and Palestinians
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Selected articles concerning Israel, published weekly by Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim’s (Baltimore) Israel Action Committee Edited by Jerry Appelbaum ( [email protected] ) | Founding editor: Sheldon J. Berman Z”L Issue 8 5 6 Volume 20 , Number 3 5 Parshias Nitzavim - Vayeilech September 12 , 20 20 Why Balkan Embassies Should Matter to Israel By Lahav Harkov jpost.com September 7, 2020 Kosovars and Palestinians in fact have little in What changed on Friday that made Israel give up on common. this principled position? Israel’s recognition of Kosovo on Friday came as Call it diplomatic realism. somewhat of a surprise, after over a decade of ignoring The past few weeks have shown that Prime Minister overtures from Pristina. Benjamin Netanyahu believes in the adage that a bird in When Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia the han d is better than two in the bush. in 2008, Jerusalem declined to follow the lead of many of First he gave up – temporarily or not, as remains to be its allies, including the US, in recognizing it. Israel was seen – on extending Israeli sovereignty to parts of Judea among other countries involved in territorial disputes, such and Samaria, something that was unclear the Trump as Spain, Cyprus and Georgia, in declining to recog nize the administration would approve, though, paradoxically, part fledgling Balkan state. of their own peace plan. Kosovo offered to open an embassy in Jerusalem in Instead, Netanyahu went for something concrete that exchange for recognition in 2018, but Israel’s official he could gain for Israel immediately, peace with the United position was that it did not want to risk its strong Arab Emirates. relationship with Serbia – though plenty of countries that Now, Netanyahu once again is giving up on a recog nize Kosovo still have good ties with Belgrade. theoretical benefit – not sending the wrong message – for The bigger reason why Israel was wary of ties with so mething Israel wants now, two more embassies in Kosovo was because of a concern over setting a precedent Jerusalem, including the first from a Muslim - majority for the Palestinians. country. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence, and for Admittedly, the “bird in the hand” view of things is Israel to support them doin g so could be seen as a nod to one the White House has been pushing. The Trump other countries to recognize a Palestinian state. administration preferred to avoid the intern ational Officially, the Palestinian Authority does not recognize backlash of supporting annexation so close to the Kosovo, with its Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour presidential election, and went with moves that can present arguing the Palestinians are under a “typical foreign Trump as a peacemaker. occupation which cannot be compared to the issue of But, as we saw with the Iran deal, Netanyahu knows Kosovo.” how to stand up for Israel’s interests when he feels they But in the immediate aftermath o f Kosovo declaring are un der threat, even when it means taking on American its independence, PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s adviser policies. Which means that in this case, his analysis was Yasser Abed Rabbo said the Palestinians should that the benefit outweighs the costs. unilaterally declare independence, as well. When it comes to Kosovo setting a precedent for the “Kosovo is not better than us,” he said. “We deserve Palestinians, the damage is already done; “Palestine” is independence even before Kosovo.” a lready a member of myriad international organizations. In p ractice, the PLO declared a state decades ago, and Plus, there is a key difference between other countries the PA followed Kosovo’s model to unilaterally join recognizing a Palestinian state at this juncture, and Israel numerous international organizations. recognizing Kosovo now. The leaders of Kosovo and Much has been made about US President Donald Serbia were in the same room negot iating with each other, Trump inserting Israel into a Kosovo - Serbia agreement something you could not have said about Netanyahu and that really had nothing to do with Israel. It’s clear that the Abbas since 2009. Kosovo and Serbia signed agreements signing at the Oval Office of a relatively unmonumental to cooperate. It’s not a final status agreement, but it’s a economic agreement between the two countries is part of step in that direction. Trump’s election campaign efforts to show he is a Israel can now point out that this agree ment included dealmaker. And with such a positive response to their recognition of Kosovo, which means it’s not a normalization from Israel and the United Arab Emirates, unilateral move at all. Trump signaled to his Evangelical base once again that he And in exchange, Israel gets two more embassies in is a friend of Israel. Jerusalem. Yes, Israel wants to make its greatest ally happy. But For anyone who shrugs off this move, they can only that still doesn’t answer the question of what this look at the “concern and regret” of the foreign polic y agreement m eans for Israel and the Palestinians. mandarins in Brussels to see that it is enough of a significance to turn the tide in Israel in Kosovo’s favor. Focus o n Israel September 12, 2020 Page 2 Turkey’s Increasing Belligerence, and What It Means for Israel By Yaakov Amidror n ationalinterest.org September 4, 2020 Ankara’s aggression towards its neighbors could other powers in the region, especially the EU, and he bring it into conflict with the Jewish state. wants to expand his country’s influence at the expense of Heightening tensions over energy reserves in the others in the Mediterranean — which, without U.S. backing, Eastern Mediterranean, which recently led to a collision are left largely defenseless. between Greek and Turkish warships, have cast renewed The massive intervention of the Turkish army in Libya attention on Turkey’s aggressive regional policy. poses an immediate threat to Egypt, where the Muslim The country hosts senior Hamas operatives and allows Brotherhood, of which Erdogan has become the informal them to plot terrorist attacks against Israel from Istanbul. leader, is the regime’s biggest enemy. There is also real It sent troops to Qatar after Doha was accused of disdain for the Turks in Egypt, which was once under suppor ting terrorism by Arab countries and blockaded. It Ottoman rule, and tensions between the parties were acute attacked Kurds in Syria who helped the United States fight even before the latest developments. Egypt has thus far ISIS. And it threatened to cut ties with the United Arab refrained from sending troops to counter Turkish Emirates (UAE) over the recently announced peace deal influence in Libya, in part due to its current dispute w ith with Israel — even though Turkey has an embassy in Tel Ethiopia over the Nile River. Egyptian president Abdel Aviv. Fattah el - Sisi must decide what endangers him more and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has extended act accordingly. this belligerent approach to the Mediterranean, sending Aside from a recent statement in support of Greece, soldiers to war - torn Libya and tipping the scales in favor Israel has so far not been involved in either conflict. Libya of the Muslim Brotherhood - influenced Government of is far from Israel, and Turkey does not threaten to infringe National Accor d (GNA), which is fighting the Egypt and on Israel’s EEZ in the Mediterranean. Turkey’s claims UAE - backed Libyan National Army. He reached a overlap those of Greece and Cyprus. The friction between maritime agreement with the GNA to delimit their Israel and Turkey these days concerns Ankara’s support exclusive economic zones (EEZ), which utterly ignored for Hamas, as well as its efforts to gai n influence among the rights of Cyprus and Greece — the latter of which is Palestinians by investing in eastern Jerusalem. When Turkey’s NA TO ally. Erdoğan turned the Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, Both countries are threatened by Turkey’s attempts to there was talk that the Al - Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was turn swaths of the Mediterranean into the Turkish Sea. next in line to be liberated — but Turkey has been wary of Ankara is using this dubious deal to legitimize energy using force in the I sraeli context since the 2010 Mavi explorations in areas that, by any measure of international Marmara fiasco. maritime law, are Greek and Cypriot economic waters, and However, Israel has clear plans to connect to Europe is threatening to use its navy against anyone who tries to via a gas pipeline and power cable that are supposed to intervene — even though this would be a gross violation of pass through Cyprus. Will Turkey try to interfere with international law. these projects, on the basis that they cu t into the EEZ that This situation is made possible by the weakness of the Ankara established with the support of the GNA? That European Union, which is unable to act unanimously even would be a Turkish invitation to a military confrontation when member states are confronted by a hostile neighbor with Israel, which will not hesitate to defend its vital and the United States fails to exert its influence. Erdogan interests in the Mediterranean. has learned that the use of force pays off unless the other Regardless, it seems that the easter n Mediterranean side is willing to respond with greater force — like Israe l, may degenerate into an armed conflict with or without for example. Jerusalem’s involvement — an unfortunate reality made What motivates Turkey? While the country is possible by European incompetence, American recovering relatively well from the coronavirus pandemic, indifference, and unrelenting Turkish aggression.